Mari Amachi -- Chiisana Koi (ちいさな恋）

Just my second Mari Amachi（天地真理） entry since starting "KK Plus". "Chiisana Koi" (A Little Love) was Amachi's second single, released in February 1972, just three months before the biggest hit of her career, "Hitori Janai no"（ひとりじゃないの....You Are Not Alone). It was written by Kazumi Yasui（安井かずみ） and composed by Kuranosuke Hamaguchi（浜口庫之助）.

"Chiisana Koi" was the usual light-hearted aidoru song of the early 1970s....backed up by strings and woodwinds with Amachi giving her trademark light and breathy vocals. What struck me about this song was the slightly rising syncopation in the song....in a way, reminiscent of a European style.

The song hit the No. 1 spot in the middle of March and continued to do so until early April, and ended up as the 9th-ranking song of the year. With "Hitori Janai no" at the No. 6 position, it was a banner year for Amachi, and the beginning of her pop cultural dominance for the next few years.